128.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Greetings in the name of Christ Jesus.  As I am studying the Bible, new words are coming to me to share with you.

God requires you to have enough money to give generously to the poor.
This responsibility will never end, for Jesus said the poor would always be among us. "For ye have the poor with you always" (Mark 14:7).

Not only will the poor always be among us, Jesus goes on to tell us He leaves it up to us to decide how often we help them. "whensoever ye will ye may do them good"(Mark 14:7).

Our Lord does not specify a percentage of our income that you should give to the poor.  He simply says we are to help them as often as we will.  It's totally up to us how much of our income we make available to the poor.  With this information comes good news, as well as bad news.

First, the good news.  "He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will He pay him again"(Prov. 19:17). In this verse, we see two very important things about giving to the poor.  First, a gift to the poor is actually a loan to God. Second, God promises to pay you back the money we give to the poor.  Isn't it just like our Lord to put up His own good name for those who have no assets?  Praise the Lord.

Now, the bad news.  "Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard"(Prov. 21:13).  When we turn a deaf ear to the cry of the poor, we automatically set a negative force in motion.  If we do not assist the poor when they cry for help, we will face a time when you will need help in your own life.  Praise the Lord.

The Bible goes on to say that when our time of need arises, no one will hear our cry. God wants us to have enough money to give to every poor person who asks something of us.  Praise the Lord.

God bless you and your family. 

Your brother in Christ,

Bob

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129.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Greetings in the name of Christ Jesus.  As I am studying God's Word today, many things are happening to me. 

It is after 3 AM and I am still writing and studying.  I know why I am sending you information.  In Psalms 98:6,  "With trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn, shout for joy before the Lord, the King!"  suggest that I need to share words as a witness to how God is working in my life.  You are observing a homeless beach bum being transformed.  My job is to tell others as Paul told others how Jesus changed his life.  Paul's actions changed the world today.  The information I have sent you in the past and that in the future is just another avenue that God is allowing me to use to shout for joy.  Waikiki Beach Outreach Ministry is growing and email is part of it.

As the ram's horn is identified with the ram that became the substitute for Isaac in Genesis 22:1-19, the ram typified the future sacrifice that Jesus would be for us as His blood was shed in our place, loosing us from the bodage of sin. 

In the Bible the ram's horn was used to:

                                 Gather God's people at Mt. Sinai. (Exo. 9:16-17)

                                 Proclaim liberty-year of Jubilee. (Lev. 25:9)

                                 Rally the people for war. (1 Sam. 13:3)

                                 Declare victory in war. (1 Sam. 13:3)

                                 Announce the Ark of the Lord. (2 Sam. 6:15)

                                 Warn of judgement for sin. (Isa. 58:1; Eze. 33:3-4)

                                 Announce kings. (1 Kings 1:34; 2 Kings 11:12,14)

                                 Rejoice and give thanks. (Num. 10:10; Neh. 12:35)

                                 Halt fighting. (2 Sam. 2:28)

                                 Bring the song of the Lord. (2 Chron. 29:26-27)

                                 Gather people to worship. (Isa. 7:13)

                                 Overcome the enemy. (Amos 2:2; Jug. 7:19)

                                 Herald the Lord's return. (Zach. 9:14-16)

If you know anyone who can help donate food, computers, or stuff for the homeless, or provide any assistance to the Waikiki Beach Outreach Ministry, please let them know how they can get in touch with me so I can continue to shout for joy on the beaches of Waikiki and on the internet. 

God bless you and your families.

Your brother in Christ,

Bob

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130.

Dear Everyone I Know,

Greetings in the name of Christ Jesus.  Thank you for allowing me to share words with you as the spirit leads me.  If anything I send you offends you or desire to be removed from my mailing, please let me know.

Almost each day as God leads me to cook and distribute food to the poor and homeless on Waikiki Beach, someone asks for intercessory prayer.  Now I always remember that I am nothing but a homeless beach bum myself who God has lifted up.  Because He has worked miracles in my life, I see no reason why He wouldn't do the same with anyone I serve.  I also know that prayer is meant for everyone to use, Paul said to pray without ceasing, to think of God every moment if possible.  Because I believe God's Word, I believe that what ever we pray, believing, we shall have it.  As I pray with others for intercessory prayer, I know that God will heal, the Word promises this.  Even to homeless beach bums.  I have been blessed to see many prayers come true, most in a short time.  God makes things happen with prayer.  As we elevate ourselves to a spiritual state and see that everything in the natural world can change with prayer, things do come true.  What are your prayers today.  I know you believe in prayer and I am led to let you know that it is working in my life.  I need to be a witness to how God is working around me.  Thank you for allowing me to share my thoughts that only can come from God.  After all, I see ourselves as dead bodies moving by the spirit of God.  Praise the  Lord.  Thank you Lord for everything you give us.

As I am writing this I am led to share the following to confirm our belief in healing prayer. 

Healing Always Comes
 
"And these signs shall follow them that believethey shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover (Mark 16:17-18).

I used to get upset over people I'd lay hands on who wouldn't get well. I was praying one day and seeking God about it when He spoke to my spirit and said, "Healing always comes."

I remember I said, "What do You mean, healing always comes? Not everybody gets healed."

"I didn't say they all received it," He answered. Then He spoke very sternly to me. "I do My part. And I said they would recover!"

Those words hit me like a ton of bricks. He said they would recover. He never lies. So if He said they would recover, then that means healing always comes. It's not God who's holding back. It's the receivers who aren't receiving.

Since then, I've never had any trouble laying hands on people and believing for them to be healed. Whether they walk away well or not, I just keep standing in faith for them. In fact, I know that if that fellow who went away still sick ever lines his faith up with God and meI don't care if it's five years from nowhe'll be healed.

If you've laid hands on someone who didn't receive their healing, don't cut off the flow of God's power by withdrawing your faith. Stand fast. Keep believing that "healing always comes" and somewhere down the line that poor sick fellow may just decide to stand up and agree with you!

Scripture Reading: Mark 10:46-52

Source: From Faith to Faith Devotional by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers

From your brother in Christ,

Bob

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131.

1 Samuel 2

Dear everyone,

Hannah was Samual's mother.  Samual was the man of God who annoited David as King of Israel.  A great story.  I hope this inspires you to read more. 

Hannahs Prayer of Praise

1Then Hannah prayed:

    "My heart rejoices in the LORD!
        Oh, how the LORD has blessed me!
    Now I have an answer for my enemies,
        as I delight in your deliverance.
2
    No one is holy like the LORD!
        There is no one besides you;
        there is no Rock like our God.
3
    "Stop acting so proud and haughty!
        Don't speak with such arrogance!
    The LORD is a God who knows your deeds;
        and he will judge you for what you have done.
4
    Those who were mighty are mighty no more;
        and those who were weak are now strong.
5
    Those who were well fed are now starving;
        and those who were starving are now full.
    The barren woman now has seven children;
        but the woman with many children will have no more.
6
    The LORD brings both death and life;
        he brings some down to the grave but raises others up.
7
    The LORD makes one poor and another rich;
        he brings one down and lifts another up.
8
    He lifts the poor from the dust--
        yes, from a pile of ashes!
    He treats them like princes,
        placing them in seats of honor.
    "For all the earth is the LORD's,
        and he has set the world in order.
9
    He will protect his godly ones,
        but the wicked will perish in darkness.
    No one will succeed by strength alone.
10
        Those who fight against the LORD will be broken.
    He thunders against them from heaven;
        the LORD judges throughout the earth.
    He gives mighty strength to his king;
        he increases the might of his anointed one."

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132.

Dear Laura (and anyone else who reads these words),

Greetings in the name of Christ Jesus.  Thank you for your response and the Scriptures God is putting on your heart to share with me.  I thank God every time I get a letter from you because I know that I will be hearing the voice of God like Tongues of Fire.  Praise His precious name.  Amen.

I respond to you and to share what God is showing me at the moment I am reading it.  I hope these words are as valuable as your words to me are.

MATTHEW 16: 17 "Jesus replied, "You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you.  You did not learn this from any human being."  (NLT)  There are many answers to the question, Who is Jesus?  but only one of them is correct.  The insight that Jesus is the promised Messiah and the Son of God comes from God himself, not from any human source.  Likewise, the realization that the God of the Bible is the higher power we need for recovery, and for everything in our lives, is a revelation from God's Word.  To put our trust in any other power for recovery, or for anything else in our lives, will only lead to disappointment and failure.

I pray for the needs of those individuals who you are visiting in the nursing home.  You are such an inspiration, to ensure everything could be done for each life God puts in front of you.  Praise the Lord.

God bless you and your family.

Your brother with all his love in Christ to you,

Bob

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133.

Hi Alisa (and anyone else who might read these words),

Greetings in the name of Christ Jesus.  Thank you for your response and thinking of me.  Thank you for sharing God's Words with me.  Thank you for touching my life.  I thank God He has allowed me to experience you in my life.

Thank you for sharing what God is showing you about Matthew 25 and 18.  I have taken your comments into consideration and reviewed His Words.  At the time I was writing about the talents on the story of the three servants, I was referring to each talent being a bag of gold.  The servant who had 5 bags earned 5 bags more.  The servant who had 2 bags earned 2 bags more.  But, the servant who only had 1 bag buried it and it earned no interest.  Therefore, God was showing me if we keep the money He gives us, we receive nothing.  As we give it away or invest it, we receive so much more.  I have received so much more that what I could have bought or even buried, instead I am just giving all my money away to others who need it in food.  Praise the Lord that He gives me this opportunity.  If I totaled the value of all the stuff I have in my apartment, its value far exceeds all the money I have been given over the past 18 months.  Praise the Lord, what a miracle.  My life is testimony and evidence of His promises.

I can understand how we could recognize the skills and talents that God has given us to benefit Him, or to benefit ourselves or anything else.  If we invest our time in the skills that God is guiding us, then there will also be a reward.  As we teach others our skills, we can multiply our effects to God and mankind. 

Matthew 18 focuses on lending and forgiving debt.  I guess if we convert the financial debt to our skills, then we could say when we give away our skills with the expectation of something in return, we could also forgive that expectation and consider our time as volunteer time to glorify His name.  I guess that is what you and I do as we are guided by His desires for us in our outreach programs.  After all, God is giving us something much more valuable - love, joy and peace.  Praise the Lord.

Luke 19:11-27 shows me how we can face stewardship, similar to Matthew 18.  We are all accountable before God to use wisely the gifts, abilities, and possessions He has entrusted to us.  Wisely using what God has given will result in generous rewards, refusing to do so will bring a stern reprimand from God.  Whatever opportunities and resources God gives us - time, money, talents, or relationships - we are to use in the lives of others.  After years of pain and devastation, we may wonder what we have to offer.  Our story of deliverance may be all someone needs to take a step toward God and recovery.  Sharing ourself with others may help save the life of a needy person.  I pray that is what God has us doing for Him in the outreach programs He has led us to create for Him.

Today I will be giving a message on the beach about Ecclesiastes on "All is Vanity."  But, chapter 9 verse 9 the NLT speaks to me about you.  "Live happily with the woman you love through all the meaningless days of life that God has given you in this world.  The wife God gives you is your reward for all your earthly toll."   And verse 10 reads, "Whatever you do, do well.  For when you go to the grave, there will be no work of planning or knowledge or wisdom."  Because life is short, we should enjoy it fully, and whatever we do, do well.  The Teacher recognized that life "under the sun" was not the end of the story, but he never minimized the importance of our days here.  God wants us to enjoy the friends and family He has given us.  We may sometimes feel that our life is insignificant in the larger scheme of things, but we need to realized that our everyday life does make a difference.  God will use us to touch the lives of others if we follow His program.  This is one of the greatest lessons of recovery. 

Paul was commending the believers in Thessalonica for their trust in God, and encouraging them to continue trusting, and reassuring them that Christ would return.  Paul did not minister there for personal gain as he said in 2:4, "For we speak as messengers who have been approved by God to be entrusted with the Good news.  Our purpose is to please God, not people.  He is the one who examines the motives of our hearts."  Yet to discredit Paul,  his enemies charged him with that very thing.  The apostle recalled his ministry among them, showing that he had gained nothing from it.  Paul's work among this city had been motivated by his sincere love and empathy.  In recovery we are to carry the message of hope to others.  But before getting involved in others' lives, we need to examine our motives.  Are we helping other people for personal gain or because we are sincerely concerned about them?  We should make this question an integral part of our personal moral inventory.  Whatever I do I pray it is for God and God alone.

(Matt.5:16)  "In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father."   Just before these words, as Jesus was teaching about salt and light, that salt is useless if it has lost its flavor and to not hide a light under a basket.  "Put it on a stand and let it shine for all."

In using our talents for God, we have a testimony before men that glorifies Him, and then He alone is worthy of praise.   I Co. 10:31 "Whatever you eat or drink or whatever you do, you must do all for the glory of God."  Ps. 67;3"May the nations praise you, O God.  Yes may all the nations praise you."  Is. 42:12"Let the coast lands glorify the LORD; let them sing his praise."   He. 13:15"With Jesus' help, let us continually offer our sacrifice of praise to God by proclaiming the glory of His name."  Ps.35,28"Then I will everyone of Your justice and goodness, and I will praise You all day long."  Ps. 51:15"Unseal my lips, O Lord, that I may praise you." 

As you said, God doesn't ask us to try to do better, He expects us to do our best...that's where faith comes in.(Duet. 7:9)"Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God who keeps His covenant for a thousand generations and constantly loves those who love Him and obey His commands." Praise God and I desire to do His will, not mine.  As we look at our behavior, we need to remember how that compares with His commands and what the Word of God says.  As I write these words to you, I am reminded of what I need to do. 

(Ps. 89:1-2)"I will sing of the tender mercies of the Lord forever!  Young and old will hear of your faithfulness.  Your unfailing love will last forever.  Your faithfulness is as enduring as the heavens."  I pray we continue to show that love and faithfulness.

(2 Ti 2:13)"If we are unfaithful, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself."  Thank you, Father God, for giving us this truth.

(Heb. 10;23)"Without wavering, let us hold tightly to the hope we say we have, for God can be trusted to keep his promise." Sometimes in recovery we may pull away from healthy relationships or fall into codependent or negative situations that undermine our recovery.  These verses remind us that relationships with other believers are crucial to our spiritual growth; godly people can encourage us and hold us accountable.  No one can stand alone for long in the recovery process.  I always have to remind myself, if we can run from healthy relationship, we are running straight toward a painful relapse.

"He expects us to walk in faith, not doubt and is not happy when his people exhibit doubt in their walk with HIM."  

(Mat. 14:31)"Instantly Jesus reached out his hand and grabbed him.  'You don't have much faith,' Jesus said.  'Why did you doubt me?'"  Sometimes, even after we have understood the Word of God, we might be grabbed by our ego to convince us, for the moment, that we need to be afraid of something.  We never need to be afraid.  We can always trust what God has told us and how Jesus showed us the way.

(Mark. 4:40)"Why are you so afraid?  Do you still not have faith in me?"  The disciples were awed when Jesus demonstrated his power over nature; even the wind and the waves obeyed him!  Seeing this incredible display of power should strengthen our faith in God.  Just as he was able to calm the stormy sea, he has the power to calm our storm-tossed life.  With Jesus in our boat, we need not fear the storms of life that threaten to drown us.  No storm is too violent or powerful for Jesus to calm.  We should never hesitate to cry out, "Master, don't you even care that we are going to drown?"  (Mark 4:38).

(Mat. 17:19-20)"Afterward the disciples asked Jesus privately, 'Why couldn't we cast out that demon?'  'You don't have enough faith,' Jesus told them.  "I assure you, even if you had faith as small as a mustard seed you could say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it would move.  Nothing would be impossible."  Very powerful words for us as Jesus heals a demon-possessed boy.  Words that I cannot forget.

, (Mat. 15:8)"These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far away."  Some people will look down on us and criticize us for our dependency and our need for recovery into life.  They will assume a self=righteous pasture because they are fulfilling all their proper "religious" obligations, while we are far from being a model church member.  Jesus says that outward activities don't necessarily correspond to inner righteousness.  If we do all the thing with a proud and selfish heart, we will be judged by  God.  If we have accepted Jesus into our heart and are humbly trying to recover into God's world, God is pleased with us, no matter what others may say.  Praise the Lord.

Thank you for your response and providing me with new scripture that confirms what God is saying to me.  God bless you and Acachia.  Let me know when or if you still want the piano.

With all my love in Christ,

Bob

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134.

Dear Laura, and anyone else who sees this,

Greetings in the name of Christ Jesus.  Thank you again for stimulating my thinking of the Word of God.  Thank you for sharing the words you have shared that mean much to me.  Thank you for sharpening iron.

Matthew 25 is one of my favorite chapters of the Bible because God showed me how I was to do His will by satisfying the needs of others in such a clear way.  As Jesus said to his disciples, "Then the King will say to the people on his right, 'Come, my Father has given you his blessing.  Receive the kingdom God has prepared for you since the world was made.  I was hungry, and you gave me food.  I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink.  I was alone and away from home(POOR AND HOMELESS), and you invited me into your house.  I was without clothes, and you gave me something to wear.  I was sick, and you cared for me.  I was in prison, and you visited me.'  Then the good people will answer, "Lord, when did we see you hungry and give you food, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you alone and away from home(POOR AND HOMELESS) and invite you into our house?  When did we see you without clothes and give you something to wear?  When did we see you sick or in prison and care for you?'  Then the King will answer, 'I tell you the truth, anything you did for even the least of my people (OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS) here, you also did for me.'"    Ultimately we will all be accountable to God on judgment day.  We will be responsible not only for our own recovery but also for how we have helped others.  The last step in recovery is to tell others about our recovery and encourage them in the recovery process.  Since Jesus identifies himself with those who suffer, we should follow his example and be especially alert to the needs of others.  The birth of Waikiki Beach Outreach Ministry initially to feed the 150 homeless and 50 poor that live and work on Waikiki Beach from the pink palace Royal Hawaiian Hotel to the aquarium and Kapiolani Park.

The whole of the chapter covers perfectionism.  it can paralyze us.  Perhaps we have been shamed for not being exactly what others wanted us to be.  Now the shadow of unrealistic expectations is cast over how we see ourself, creating unrealistic expectations for our progress.  Jesus told the story of a man who loaned three servants money to invest for him while he was away.  The first two men invested and doubled the money; the third hid his money in a hole.  The third servant saw the master through the eyes of fear.  He "came and said, 'Sir, I know you are a hard man, harvesting crops you didn't plant and gathering crops you didn't cultivate.  I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth and here it is.'  But the master replied, ' ... Well, you should at least have put my money into the bank so I could have some interest.'" (Mat 25:24-27)  When we measure ourself by the expectations of others or by our own need to be perfect, we may fall so short that we may not even try to succeed.  All God asks of us is that we try to do something with our abilities and resources.  When we allow ourself the option of just making modest progress, we will find the courage to progress in recovery.  Even the least improvement is better than not trying at all or being doomed to complete failure by our perfectionism.  I am investing all that God is giving me into the Waikiki Beach Outreach Ministry as you have with your relationship with your husband.  Praise the Lord.

Jesus used parables to teach his disciples to be ready for his return.  I desire to be a disciple of Jesus, as Paul was.  Jesus wants his followers to be busy in service and in sharing the good news right up until the day of his return.  Watchfulness and active service go hand in hand.  You and I know the joy of being forgiven.  Those who don't, come to Jesus and lay your past as well as your future in his hands.  Take comfort in knowing that no matter what the circumstances, Christ remains within you and in me.

I don't have to be afraid of Judgment Day because all my sins are forgiven and forgotten.  They are blotted out and remembered no more - all the things in my life that are rotten and filthy are history, and all the things that are so shameful that I have never dared to share them with anyone (till 18 months ago) will be erased, if not already, from my record.  In place of all that garbage will be recorded all the magnificent thing that Jesus did.  The joy that comes form thinking about glory is a joy available to all who have surrendered their lives to Christ.  All they have to do is just stop and reflect on it all from time to time.  Praise His precious name and the awesome knowledge He has given us about this new freedom, this new birth.

Thank you for reminding me of these scriptures and commenting on them.  Attached is a picture that Rick took of me just before I started writing this letter, or sermon.  God bless you and your family.

With all my love in Christ to you,

Bob 

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135.

Dear Laura, and anyone else who is reading this,

Greetings in the name of Christ Jesus.  God bless you and your family.  Thank you for sharing the scriptures.   Your words, again, have inspired me to study the Word, again.  Praise the Lord. 

Ecclesiastes was written by King Solomon 3000 years ago, the wisest, richest, and most influential man ever in the history of the world.  The key words are "all is vanity," the futile emptiness of trying to be happy apart from God.  Power, popularity, prestige, pleasure - nothing can fill the God void in man's life but God Himself!  But once seen from God's perspective, life takes on meaning and purpose and says, "Eat ... drink ... rejoice ... do good ... live joyfully ... fear God ... keep His commandments!"  The word itself simply means "preacher."

As I am studying these words, I am thinking that God wants me to share this message in my next services.  Sometimes the events of life just don't fit together into coherent, meaningful patterns.  How can we make sense of a past filled with sexual abuse, alcoholic behavior, drug addiction, gambling, overeating, being a victim of physical abuse, etc. and how do they play a part in God's plan?  As we recognize our errors, we begin to see that have perpetuated the destruction by attempting to compensate for being sinned against in our developmental years.  As Solomon was searching for the key that would unlock the door to life/s meaning, he advised that we enjoy life the best we can considering the circumstances.  We are called to recognize that life is God's good gift to us.  We need to reverence God and obey his commands, puts life into perspective.  It creates the necessary boundaries to hold us back from selfish hedonism (seeker of fleshly momentary pleasure - which is not lasting), while still allowing us to enjoy the good things in life.  Since life is God's good gift to be enjoyed, not a puzzle to be solved, Ecclesiastes helps us cope with our humanity.  There will be some things in life that we will never understand.  Rather than attempt to understand the mysterious past events in our life, these words counsel us to enjoy the parts of life that do make sense and to entrust the rest to God's care.  It is not a puzzle to be solved, but a good life to be enjoyed responsibly.

Chapter 7 expresses the wisdom for life and the limits of human wisdom.  The writing style of Ecclesiastes shifts radically here, as does Solomon's emphasis.  In verse 1 the message is presented by using proverbs, short statements of wisdom.  We are given wisdom for coping with everyday life in a fallen world.  The search for life has essentially ended.  A good reputation is more valuable than the most expensive perfume.  In the same way, the day you die is better than the day you are born.  It is good to think about death while there is still time.  Verse 8 says that finishing is better than starting; patience is better than pride.  Verse 3 says that sorrow is better than laughter because sadness has a refining influence on us.  Verse 25 says Solomon searched everywhere, determined to find wisdom and to understand the reason for things.  He was determined to prove to himself that wickedness is stupid and that foolishness is madness.

Now Chapter 9 focuses on death and ends on thoughts on wisdom and folly.  Verse 18 shows us even though wisdom in itself cannot give meaning to our life, it is clearly preferred over foolishness.  This reinforces the view that wisdom is not meaningless in an absolute sense.  Wisdom helps us avoid destructive pitfalls in life, though it is limited for the purpose of putting the pieces of the puzzle of life together.

Moving back into the wisdom of the Proverbs 9:10, Solomon says to fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.  Knowledge of the Holy One results in understanding.  Chapter 9 provides a summary statement of the first eight chapters of Proverbs by contrasting the invitations of wisdom and foolishness.  God's wisdom leads to life, Foolishness, as identified by the adulteress, leads to death.  The application that showed me how I had been nurturing a "harmless" habit.  For example, my past smoking (which God has removed the burden of needing to take one) was like the man who continually passes in front of the prostitute's house, thinking he can withstand her alluring invitations.  I stopped that compromising habit today by not buying the cigarettes and returned to God before it was too late and die of cancer, like my mother.  Though, I now live in the center of where the prostitutes do their mighty business, God has something much greater in store for me than to act upon my fleshly desires.  He has allowed me to prove to myself that I only need Him, not the fleshly desires of sex. 

I read a story that gives me inspiration to remember this chapter:

"If Satan were too blow you out of the water," he asked, "how do you think he would do it?"

"I'm not sure I know," I answered.  "All sorts of ways, I suppose; but I know there's one way he wouldn't get me."

"What's that?"

"He'd never get me in the area of my personal relationships.  That's one place where I have no doubt that I'm as strong as you can get."

A few years after that conversation my world broke wide open.  A chain of seemingly innocent choices became destructive, and it was my fault.  And then my world broke - in the very area I had predicted I was safe - and my world had to be rebuilt.

I wondered why until I realized from personal experience that where we perceive ourselves to be the strongest is where we're least likely to be prepared for a battle that isn't psychological or emotional.  It's spiritual!  Let no person ever say, "I can't be taken.:  Or as St. Paul wrote,"So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!" (1 Cor 10:12).    

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